As we set our clocks back this weekend for the end of Daylight Saving Time, St. Lawrence County residents are being encouraged to test their smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors and change their batteries.

Daylight Saving Time expires Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2 a.m. and we revert back to Eastern Standard Time by “falling back”, or setting our clocks back by one hour.

Officials of emergency agencies have adopted the changing of clocks as a good time to remind people to change the batteries in their alarms, to be certain that their protection is available.

The Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) recommends cleaning all detectors to remove any debris that might impede their function and to test the batteries, changing them if necessary.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), two-thirds of all fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms. Though many homeowners and businesses do in fact have smoke alarms, these units are often not functioning due to a lack of proper maintenance.

Meanwhile, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane or oil) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. An estimated 72,000 non-fire carbon monoxide incidents are reported to U.S. fire departments each year. Carbon monoxide incidents are most common during the peak home heating season, November through February, the NFPA says.

“We frequently encounter homes without smoke detectors, or with non-working smoke detectors,” said FASNY President Robert McConville. “Installing and maintaining smoke detectors in your house is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself against fire. Just as important is installing and maintaining CO detectors. Today, so many of our clocks are computerized and reset automatically to reflect the time change, making it easy to forget this crucial task.”

FASNY smoke & CO detector tips:

• Test detectors at least once a month by using the test button.

• Check the batteries every six months, and change the batteries every year (if applicable). If a battery is starting to lose its power, the unit will usually chirp to warn you. Do NOT disable the unit.

• Vacuum or blow out any dust that might accumulate in the unit.

• Never borrow a battery from a detector to use somewhere else.

• Never paint a smoke or CO detector.

• Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home, including the basement, and in, or near each sleeping area.

• Smoke detectors should not be installed near a window because drafts could interfere with their operation.

• Smoke detectors should be completely replaced every ten years.

• Families should also develop and practice a home fire escape plan.

For more information on smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other information on fire safety and prevention, visit www.fasny.com and www.nfpa.org.